Workout Finisher: The Tricep Exercises to Triple Your Size

Top off your workout with these tricep exercises to add mass to your arms.

Chad Howse

MF EDITORS RECOMMEND

15-Minute Arm Workout

Workout Finisher: Down-the-Rack Bicep Burn Out

Stuck with noodle arms? Your triceps account for about 3/4 of your arm, so it's about time to put some real work in on them. Adding these finishers to the end of your workouts will give them the beating they need. Now watch them grow! 

For these particular finishers you can expect to hit your triceps with a completely different rep and set scheme, increase blood flow and maximize muscle growth.

Warning: Don't do them after every workout. Over a 3-week period, focus on one muscle group, adding a finisher like this to your workout 1/2 to 3/4's of the days you're training.

Finisher 1

Cable Pushdown Burnout Set

Reps: 1 set of 50

Tempo: Fast on both the concentric and eccentric contractions.

Squeeze and hold for 1 second at the end of the exercise and use a very light weight. If you fail before 50, rest for 5 seconds and continue.

Finisher 2

Burnout Giant Set

Starting with a heavier exercise, then dropping down to lighter and lighter weights. It's essentially a 3-phased drop set using different movements.

A1. Dips - 25 reps

A2. Skull Crushers - 25 reps

A3. Seated Dumbbell Triceps Press - 25 reps

Read More

The Easiest Way to Boost Willpower

A new study shows that looking at the right words can trick your brain into being a self-control machine

Pinterest lovers, rejoice! Those “Keep Calm and Carry On” pins may do more than keep your blood pressure in check. They may also prevent you from raiding the vending machine. Inactive words likestill or calm can help increase your self-control, even though they have nothing to do with your diet, finds a new study from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

For the study, researchers had 20 men and women sit at a computer screen on which a different letter appeared, one after another, 600 times. Before each letter appeared, the screen flashed with a single action-related word (like go, run, hit, move, or start) or inaction-related word (like sit, still, calm, or stop). The words appeared on the screen for such a brief amount of time that none of the participants were aware they had even seen them.

By examining the participants’ brain waves through electroencephalography (EEG) recording equipment, researchers found that when the subjects were exposed to active words, their brain activity relating to self-control decreased. When they were exposed to inactive words, that self-control activity increased.

“Our brains have been programmed to associate action messages with performing a behavior and inaction messages with not performing that behavior,” says study co-author Justin Hepler, a social personality psychologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “So when we see or hear an inaction word, no matter the context, our brains work to prevent us from taking action.”

That means that while inaction words can keep you out of the kitchen, they can also keep you out of the gym, warns Hepler. Meanwhile, action words can encourage any behavior—be it good or bad. The trick is using the right words in the right situations, he says. Our suggestion? Tape inactive words on your fridge and active words right above where you keep your sneakers.

Read More

The Type of Food Packaging That Helps You Eat Less

Try this trick to make sure you don’t overdo it with the candy jar

Food manufactures know that packaging plays a huge role in what people choose to buy. But new research suggests that it can also impact how much you eat of what’s inside: People tend to eat larger quantities of bite-size junk foods when they come in clear packages, according to a new series of studies recently published in Journal of Marketing.

For the studies, researchers compared how much cereal, candy, cookies, and carrots people ate while watching TV. The catch? In certain instances, the foods came in transparent packaging. But at other times, it was in partially transparent or opaque packaging. Compared to opaque packaging, clear packaging led the participants to eat 69 percent more Fruit Loops, 58 percent more M&Ms, 38 percent fewer cookies, and 78 percent fewer baby carrots. There were no significant differences between the amount of food eaten from transparent and partially transparent packages.

See, transparent packaging has two opposing effects: It showcases the food, which stokes your appetite and entices you to eat more, says lead author Xiaoyan Deng, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing at Fisher College of Business Department of Marketing and Logistics. At the same time, a clear package allows you to see how much you’ve eaten, so you can, in theory, monitor your intake and eat less.

So which force is stronger? Turns out, it completely depends on what you’re eating. The tastier the food looks, the more difficult it is to resist and the more likely clear packaging will work against you. Case in point: Participants ate more Fruit Loops and M&Ms, but fewer carrots, says Deng. But a food’s size can also affect whether people practice self-control, says Deng.

When foods are bite-sized, you’re more likely to tell yourself it’s OK to eat just one little piece…and repeat it every time you dip your hand in the bag, says Deng. That’s why participants ate more M&Ms when they could see them—but fewer cookies. See, when you eat larger foods—particularly unhealthy ones—you’re more likely to tell yourself ahead of time that you’re going to need to tap into your store of willpower, says Deng. So you set yourself up to stop eating after just one or two of the items.

The takeaway? It’s probably a good idea to keep bite-sized versions of unhealthy foods in opaque containers so you don’t go overboard—but with something like cookies or even carrots, clear containers are a better bet.

Read More

Even Super-Short Workouts Keep Your Weight Down

A couple minutes of brisk walking here and there can really add up to lost inches on your waistline

Some days, it feels like you can’t make it to the gym for 20 minutes, let alone a full hour. Don’t sweat it: Even very short bouts of higher-intensity physical activity—we’re talking brisk walking-level intensity here—can help keep you at a healthy weight, according to new research published in the journal The Science of Lifestyle Change.

For the study, researchers looked at data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, for which the Centers for Disease Control collected the weights, heights, and activity levels of a nationally representative sample of people. Researchers took 4,511 overweight and obese adults from the survey and split them into into four categories: those who did more than 10 minutes of higher-intensity physical activity (defined as anything at least as rigorous as brisk walking) at a time; those who did less than 10 minutes of higher-intensity physical activity at a time; those who did more than 10 minutes of lower-intensity physical activity at a time, and those who did less than 10 minutes of lower-intensity physical activity at a time.

Turns out, the shorter bouts of higher-intensity activity were about as effective at lowering participants’ BMIs (minute for minute) as the longer bouts of higher-intensity activity were. Both higher-intensity activity groups also showed a smaller risk of being overweight or obese. Lower-intensity activity, however, wasn’t associated with the same health perks.

“If you can do a minute here, a minute there—as long as it’s higher-intensity and it adds up to about 30 minutes, five times a week—it would still have as much of a benefit as doing at least 10 minutes at a time,” says study author Jessie X. Fan, Ph.D., a professor in the department of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah.

Why? While this study didn’t look at mechanism, previous research suggests higher-intensity exercises may rev up your metabolism more—so you keep burning calories and fat even after you stop moving, says Fan.

Ready to start making mini-workouts work for you? Check out our quick exercise routines and these easy ways to move more all day long.

Read More

How One Woman Lost 90 Pounds

Jen Tallman, 25, went from 265 lbs to 155 lbs. Here's how she did it

BEFORE 265 lbs
AFTER 155 lbs

Jen Tallman, now 25, used to start the day with two breakfast sandwiches, hash browns, and a cinnamon roll. At night, she turned to takeout, easily notching up 7,000 calories before bedtime. "I wasn't active at all," says the Binghamton, New York, native. Two stabs at group dieting failed, and Jen, 5'7", hit a high of 265 pounds before her 21st birthday.

The Change
Jen suffered from exhaustion, swollen hands and feet, and headaches. When she read online that these could be symptoms of prediabetes and high blood pressure, she was terrified that her life could be in danger. "I knew I needed a permanent change," she says, "not a quick fix."

The Lifestyle
A gym-averse Jen started with daily 20-minute walks. She practiced simple habits such as previewing menus for light options before she went out to eat and ditching the bun on her burger. In four months, she lost 40 pounds. When her progress stalled six months in, around March 2010, Jen sprinkled 30-second running intervals into her walks and kept closer tabs on her daily eats with a smartphone app.

As her walks turned into five-mile runs and her calorie count dipped under 1,200 per day, Jen shrunk fast. By 2011, she reached 130 pounds—but that was another extreme. "I was unhappy and anxious," says Jen, who found herself constantly obsessing over her weight. So she inched toward the middle, enjoying previously off-limits favorites like pizza one day a week and penciling rest days into her workout schedule (which now includes indoor cycling classes, yoga, and fun DVDs mixed in with running). Happily settled at 155 pounds, Jen says, "It's all about balance."

The Reward
In March 2011, Jen moved to New York City to chase a career in the fashion industry, something she never had the courage to do as a size 24. Now she's an office assistant at Chanel. She's also an athlete: "This year, I ran my first half-marathon back home in Binghamton," says Jen. "It was special for me, since that's where I used to be so unhealthy." As for the ailments that scared her into losing weight in the first place? Gone. "I feel healthy and relieved, finally," she says.

Jen's Tips
Hit refresh. "To keep from getting bored, read healthy-food blogs for new ideas. I write one at artificiallybalanced.wordpress.com."
Work in exercise. "It's OK if you don't have tons of time to go to the gym. Every bit adds up. Take a walk at lunchtime, or do squats at your desk every hour."
Plan ahead. "Do your food prep on Sundays so you have go-to meals and snacks for the week."

Read More

How the Gym Can Make You GAIN Weight

What you do before and after your workout could cancel out its health benefits




You’ve been working out for months—so why is the number on the scale going in the wrong direction? Many people actually gain weight despite going to the gym, according to a recent survey by Forza Supplements.

The U.K.-based company polled 1,000 people on their diet and exercise habits and found that 26 percent of the people surveyed actually packed on pounds after they started going to the gym—although, to be fair, some people included in this group only went to the gym once a week, while others went daily.  

While the irregularity of exercise may be a factor in why many of the gym-goers struggled to maintain their weight (let alone drop a few pounds), Forza reps say there’s likely another factor at work, as well: People who work out tend to overindulge in foods before and after their sweat sessions, according to the company’s press release. “People think working out harder can make up for eating unhealthy foods,” says J.J. Virgin, nutritionist and author of The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days. “But you can’t compensate for bad eating with exercise.” Think about it: One milkshake can clock in at 780 calories, which would take 72 minutes of jumping rope—a pretty vigorous exercise—to burn off (see more junk food to exercise conversions).

Of course, eating well (and enough) is key to burning fat and building muscle, says Virgin. But working out doesn’t grant you permission to gorge on whatever you’re craving, either.

If you’re watching your waistline, make sure to eat pre- and post-workout foods that will boost your overall performance and help your muscles recharge, says Virgin. But you should also be wary of how much you eat—even if it’s a healthy snack—since consuming too much of any food makes it harder for your body to burn it off later, she says. Once you’ve cleaned up your diet and learned healthy portion sizes, exercise will help you maintain or decrease your weight.

Read More

The Crazy Way Olive Oil Helps You Lose Weight

When it comes to eating a healthy diet, olive oil may be your best friend. It tastes delicious, it's full of healthy, good-for-your-heart fats, and it might even help fight off dangerous belly bugs. But there’s another way this golden health elixir can make your life better—and you don't even need to eat it. Simply smelling olive oil may help you lose weight, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Nutrition.

Over two days, 11 male subjects were given low-fat yogurt, and half of the subjects received yogurt mixed with fat-free olive oil extract. After the snack, German researchers measured the men’s brain activity. The group who ate yogurt with the extract had increased blood flow in brain areas typically associated with fat consumption—even though the overall fat content of the snack was low. That's all thanks to the scent of olive oil, which might help you feel full, say researchers. (This isn't the first time studies have shown that olive oil can increase feelings of satiety and fullness.)

“Dietary fat is rewarding,” said study co-author Andreas Fritsche, Ph.D., nutritional medicine professor at the University Hospital Tübingen in Germany. So rewarding, in fact, that it could be used as an effective dieting tool, though further studies are needed. “If you eat a fat-free aroma extract which is commonly associated with fat, it is possible that you get the rewarding effect of fat-triggered sensations without calories.

Read More

Why Darkness Is Crucial for Weight-Loss

Want to lose weight? Turn off the lights. The sleep-promoting hormone melatonin can help your body produce a special kind of calorie-burning fat, according to an animal study recently published in Journal of Pineal Research.

In the study, a team of Spanish and American scientists fed 16 rats diets that were identical except for one difference: Some of the rats drank melatonin-enhanced water, while others drank regular water. At the end of the study, the researchers examined each animal’s body for white and brown fat cells. (A primer: White fat stores calories and leads to weight gain, while brown fat burns way more calories than white fat and promotes weight loss.)

Interestingly, the rats that drank the melatonin-spiked water had more calorie-torching brown fat than white fat—even though their diets didn’t change. Study co-author Russel Reiter, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Texas Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, says that melatonin can spark brown fat production and even turn some white fat into brown fat.

If these effects translate to humans (and Reiter says he thinks they would), melatonin could be the key to burning more calories without dieting. While previous research suggests that exercise and cold temperatures can trigger brown fat production as well, supplementing these efforts with melatonin is just plain easier—especially because you don’t have to move more or freeze your butt off to see results. What’s more: Melatonin is even safer than most OTC pain-killers, says Reiter. And while it’s typically prescribed to promote sleep, it doesn’t make people super-drowsy like other sleep aids.

Because there haven’t been any human studies yet, though, it’s unclear how much melatonin you’d need to take to see the number on the scale budge. The good news: Your body produces melatonin naturally in response to complete darkness. To boost your body’s melatonin levels, just cut out all light at night: Invest in black-out bedroom shades, trash your nightlight, and keep the bathroom light (and your iPhone and iPad) off until the a.m. And if you’re thinking of taking melatonin supplements to further boost your body’s levels of the hormone, talk to a doctor first to make sure it won’t have any adverse health effects.

Read More

Why Your Weight-Loss Apps Aren’t Working

The truth about tech support for your weight-loss goals




Monitoring your food intake and gym time on an app might not be enough to help you see weight-loss results: Many apps don’t use enough scientifically-backed weight-loss strategies, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School analyzed 30 weight-loss apps that were available for either (or both) the iPhone or Android—for example, apps like MyFitnessPal and Lose It. They wanted to see if the apps utilized one or more of a list of 20 intervention techniques that have been proven effective as weight-loss methods (techniques included calorie balance, stress reduction, and portion control).

Of the 30 apps evaluated, the majority used just three of the 20 proven weight-loss behavior strategies—MyNetDiary (both the free and paid version) was the only app to use more than half of those techniques. What’s the big deal with using so few weight-loss tactics? The more techniques an app utilizes at once, the more likely it is to help users meet their weight-loss goals and lead healthier lives, say researchers.

But this doesn’t mean these cell phone downloads are totally useless—lots of women have shed pounds by tracking their diet and fitness routines. And the study authors note that certain technological enhancements, like progress sharing on social media and barcode scanning, can help people stick to fitness and nutrition programs. So if you want to cinch your waistline and get fit, it won’t hurt to try out an app. But keep in mind that if you still aren’t seeing the results you want, you should search for other weight-loss strategies that might work better for you.

Read More

The One Place You Shouldn't Try to Lose Weight

The new "thigh gap" trend isn’t natural…or safe

Hot new fall clothes aren’t the only runway trends people want to steal for themselves these days: More women are becoming obsessed with creating a “thigh gap”—having space between their legs—as seen on some models during fashion week.

But what you may not realize is that this body image isn’t something you can work toward with a healthy diet and exercise routine, says Vonda Wright, M.D., author of Guide to Thrive: 4 Steps to Body, Brains, and Bliss. “Very few women have a large gap between their thighs,” says Wright. “Thigh gaps really only happen through genetics—but even if you have wide hips, your legs can still touch if you have a lot of muscle.”

Obsessions with transforming certain body parts aren't exactly a new phenomenon, but what’s scary about this trend is that women are going to dangerous lengths to get crazy-thin legs, says Claire Mysko, a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association. “Most women cannot achieve this look without extreme dieting or sometimes a full-blown eating disorder,” she says.

Also, bear in mind that “skinny doesn’t necessarily mean fit or healthy,” says Wright. Sticking to muscle-sculpting leg workouts to get toned thighs is a much healthier—and very sexy—option. 

Read More

The 9 Best Weight-Loss Tips Ever!

Those extra pounds will vanish in no time

Read More

11 Low-Calorie Snacks You Haven’t Thought Of

Surprisingly healthy snacks you NEED to try

Read More

How Chocolate Can Help You Lose Weight

Read More

The Danger of Weight-Loss Pills

Why they're not at all healthy (or safe!)

Read More

The Weight-Loss Mistake You’ve Been Making

If you’ve tried losing weight on your own and keep failing, it’s OK to ask for help—especially considering that people tend to drop more pounds when they join a weight-loss intervention group, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine.

For the study, which was commissioned by Weight Watchers, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine monitored 292 overweight individuals as they participated in a six-month weight-loss trial. Participants in the Weight Watchers group had access to weekly group-support meetings, the Weight Watchers website, and the Weight Watchers mobile app (which is designed to track physical activity and food intake). The other group had no outside help.

By the end of the study, people in the Weight Watchers group had lost an average of 5 percent of their initial weight, while on average, the other group lost less than 1 percent of their original weight—and study authors say the social support aspect of Weight Watchers was key to the dieters’ success.

“It’s not to say it can’t be done, but losing weight on your own is a very difficult thing to accomplish,” says study author Craig Johnston, Ph.D., researcher in the department of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. “Finding a weight-loss program that works for you puts you around people who can support and motivate you.”

Want to drop pounds but not interested in a program like Weight Watchers? Try using these four ways your existing social networks can help you slim down.

Read More

Will Going Vegetarian Really Help Me Lose Weight?

The question: Will going vegetarian really help me lose weight?

The expert: Eileen Dutter, R.D., health educator for weight management services at the Mayo Clinic

The answer: There are some definite advantages to eating more fruits and vegetables. You’ll get more healthy nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, and carbs—and less saturated fat, which can be found in a variety of meats. And when it comes to weight loss in particular, your diet will naturally become lower calorie if you focus on consuming mostly produce, along with some healthy grains and low-fat dairy.

If, however, your interpretation of a vegetarian diet means eating mac and cheese and veggie pizza all the time, then cutting meat out of your eating plan won’t help you slim down. The key to dropping pounds is watching what you eat and burning more calories than you take in—and you don’t necessarily have to eliminate meat from your diet to do this healthfully.

Read More

Could Marijuana Help You LOSE Weight?

Smoking pot and the munchies go hand-in-hand—so it must lead to weight gain, right? Not necessarily, according to a new study published in The American Journal of Medicine: The research finds that people who use marijuana actually tend to have smaller waistlines.

For the study, researchers looked at 4,657 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Turns out, people who identified themselves as current marijuana users had, on average, smaller waist circumference measurements, 16 percent lower fasting insulin levels, and 17 percent lower insulin resistance levels. While this obviously doesn't prove that pot helps people manage their weight better (the study was only correlational), researchers hypothesize that marijuana may have a healthy effect on the way your body metabolizes food.

So while this evidence isn't compelling enough to suggest you should begin a smoking habit to drop pounds, it is another interesting potential benefit of marijuana.

Read More

7 Celebs Who've Lost a Ton of Weight

And how you can make healthy changes, too

Read More

The New Weight-Loss Strategy: Just Don’t Gain Weight

Tried losing weight a million times but never had much success? You might be going at it the wrong way: Learning how to maintain your current weight helps women stick to healthier lifestyles andlose weight, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine.

Read More

The 10 Best Weight-Loss Tips Ever

Dieting sucks and never seems to work long-term anyway. These easy habits will slim you down.

BY SOUFIANE NEJJARI

Losing pounds doesn't have to be torture (we're looking at you, cayenne-pepper cleanse). Adopt at least three of these behaviors — they're simple to integrate into your day-to-day routine, and all are enthusiastically backed by nutritionists — and you'll be thinner and healthier in days. (Plus, the weight will stay off.)

1. SNACK, BUT SMARTLY

Read More

Post-Workout Meal:What Should You Eat After A Workout?

This article is a follow up to my pre-workout meal article written last week and a Q&A I did with Men’s Fitness1 on the subject of pre and post-workout nutrition.

While the world of nutrition is rife with controversy, most experts agree a proper post-workout meal can improve results versus no meal at all. The challenge is simplifying all the nuances to consider so you can eat a post-workout meal that works well for you.

Read More

What Are The Best Fruits To Eat For Weight Loss?

Fruit sometimes gets a bad rap in the weight loss world because it has sugar. However, fruit contains many nutrients that are beneficial to your health and can help create satiety, which is infinitely better for you than many other choices.

Read More